Tournament Pairings... The Boston College field hockey team will open its 1997 season against Southwest Missouri State (1-1) on Saturday morning (11:30 a.m.) in the first round of the Boston College Field Hockey Tournament. Fairfield University (0-1) and LaSalle University (0-0) meet at 1:30 p.m. in the other first-round contest.

The Championship Game... will be played on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The consolation game will begin at 11:30 a.m.

A Look at the Eagles... Boston College, led by head coach Sherren Granese (11th season, 86-104-6), finished 11-8 in 1996, the program's third consecutive winning season. The Eagles have a 38-21-2 record in those three years.

Eagles Picked First in BIG EAST... In the BIG EAST preseason coaches' poll, Boston College was picked to finish first in the six-team Conference. The Eagles received three of a possible five first-place votes in the balloting. Last season, BC finished tied for second with Syracuse in league play. Connecticut (picked third in '97) is the defending BIG EAST champion.

1996 Honors... Four members of the '97 Eagles return after earning postseason honors last season. Ambros was a First Team All-BIG EAST and Regional All-America selection, while Ramsbotham earned Second Team All-BIG EAST and NFHCA All-America accolades. Durko also earned Second All-BIG EAST honors, and forward Julianne Marrone (Holden, Mass.) was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team in 1996.

Road to the Postseason... The road to postseason starts in Chestnut Hill. On November 8-9, Boston College will host the BIG EAST Championships. For the last four seasons, BC qualified for the two-day event. In 1994, the Eagles earned their first NCAA playoff berth after defeating Syracuse, 1-0, in the BIG EAST championship contest.

A Look the Other Teams... Southwest Missouri State is 1-1 after splitting its two contests last weekend at the Saint Louis University Tournament. The Lady Eagles lost to Hofstra, 3-2, and rebounded to defeat Louisville, 2-1. Fairfield is 0-1 after losing to Connecticut, 11-0, on September 3. LaSalle opens its season on September 4 against Bucknell.